A Month Down: City Livin' and Workin' in the District of Columbia

Last spring, I applied for the Williamson Fellowship—a subset of the Davidson Impact Fellowship Program—and was awarded the opportunity to work with the Trevor Project in Washington D.C., the nation’s leading nonprofit organization that promotes mental health wellness and suicide prevention among the LGBTQ youth population of America. Due to a somewhat sudden shift in circumstances, with the departure of two key employees (one of whom had been appointed as my supervisor for the fellowship) from Trevor’s D.C. office, I was given the option to work out of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) office while still technically working as a Trevor employee. At first, I was a bit hesitant about the switch, but I am now so glad that I agreed to it.

My main project for the next twelve months is the development of a suicide prevention model policy for institutions of higher education across the nation—a mission that the Trevor Project is spearheading, with AFSP as a partner organization as well as the enlisted help of Active Minds and the Jed Foundation. Therefore, although I am working remotely for Trevor right now (which is subject to change in a couple of months once the D.C. office rehires the positions of the two employees that left), it is wonderful to have immediate, direct access to the partner organization for the project . The AFSP office in D.C. is small, intimate, and has a great vibe among its employees. I am nearing the four-week mark of my job, and I have really enjoyed it so far. Plus, my office has full-length windows and even my very own door: any new-to-the-workforce gal’s dream come true.

The transition of moving to a new city was hectic and a little hard at first; I’ve called North Carolina my home for 22 years, so it has been a big adjustment. I’ve always been fond of the city of Washington D.C., though—it was by no accident that I selected to work in the Trevor Project D.C. offi

ce (there are also offices in West Hollywood and NYC). It has most anything you’d want out of a fun, good-to-live-in city: interesting groups of people everywhere you turn, gorgeous architecture throughout the diverse neighborhoods, super clean metros, countless good brunch spots (people here are honestly obsessed with brunch, but I won’t complain).

Next blog post, I’m sure I’ll have more to report on the details of my job life, as my primary project picks up momentum. But so far, so good!

P.S. Today is World Suicide Prevention Day! Make sure to spread the word and your support. 🙂